Gradometer



I Sept. 1, 1925, 1,552,140 I v E. F. GOB-ATTI GRADOMETE-R F l pt- 12, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet '1 [12 we)? &r

L W/M Sept. 1, 1925;

E. F; GOBATTI GRADOMETER 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Se'pt. 12

III/IIIIII/Il/I/I/llI/l Patented Sept. 1, 1925..

'of the vehicle by the-readirigs may be easily observed by VUNI'TEDY sr'nri-zs 'oFFicE.

DIUND I. GOBATTI,

101' ronnr'lo, cononano.

oaanomnm lp plioation fled September 12, 192;. Serial No. 662,217.

To all whom it may com-em:

Be it known that EDMUND F. Goea'rrr, a citizen of the United "States, residin at Pueblo, in the county of Pueblo and tate of Colorado, has .inventednew' and useful Improvements .in Gradometers, of which the following is a specification.

The purpose of the resent invention is to provide a device of t is kind of improved construction for giving the readings of various grades or-inclinations of roads, irrigation ditchesand the like. Such device, when applied to a; motor driven vehicle, will not only permit-the chauffeur or driver to ascertain the various inclinations or grades on the .road but will also indicate the direction of travel. a d

Another purpose is 1 provide in a a bmeter, a construction which is apph c able to the instrument board, dajsh or other part preferably the former, wherethe chauffeur or driver. Still another purpose is to provide a construction including a casing with a gravity balanced member operatively mounted on the interior with readings that, when,.the vehicle is descending or ascending a grade, an indicator which is carried by the casin will move relatively .to the readings an thereby indieate'the inclimitionof thejgrade.

fas

furtheripurpose is the provisiongof means in the construction of'the radometer for permitting the casing f 'whic supports the gravity 'balanced'meniber. and carries the indicator) to be adjusted, whereby, the indi-' 'cator'fmay register with the zero. mark or graduation ,pf the readings when the vehicle 15 at rest onja perfectly horizontal surface.

A still fur'thefpu is the provision ofv means for mounting tlie casing on the instrument board or other part of the vehicle iii- ,cluding a cover,"the construction, arrangement and removability of which ermits access to the means'which adjustab y supports the casing, so that thepositlon of said casin may be regulated in case it becomes deranged due to the vibrations of the vehicle.

The invention, as a further purpose,'aims to providemeans for the support of a compass, whereby the chauffeur or driver may readily ascertain the direction of travel.

- The invention comprises further features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

igure 7 1s a collective perspectiveof that portion of the casing containing the sight opemng'and the Sightcoventtogether with I the plate whlch engages the sight cover,.and

' closes the sight opening on' one-side.

re 3 is a transverse sectional view on -ew with the Figure 6 is a detail perspectiveview of the .sugportlng plate.

elevation of the im' 1gradometer constructed in accord- Referringto the drawings, 1 desi nates'a casing which may be of any suitab e thickness and any diameter and which has a cover 2. This cover has a flange 3 which engages on theinterior of the casing, thereby holding the cover concentric with the casing. The

"casing and the cover have bearings 4 for the i gre'ception of the ends of a shaft 5 One end of the shaft is reduced at 6 in order to .en-

gage through an o ingin the casing. ".The other end of the s aft 5 engages an opening a in oneside oflthe cover.

.- A circular member"7,.similarin construe :tion tojapulle ,is mounted .upon theshaft "5. "In fact, t is ,member has an annular i flan e, a'portion 8 of which is considerably thic ened, constitutin .gra'vity means so that the member 7 wil balance and remain practically in the same position at all times.

It is true that the member may vibrate slightly but nevertheless the gravity means 8 will remain at the bottom. Secured at 10 to the outer face of the flan 9 of the member 7 is'a'pla'te 11. This ate conforms to the curvature of the circu rmember 7 and.

is provided with readings and graduations extending above and below a zero mark.

' these graduations may be easily observed,

" I straight so that the p The casing has its cylindrical wall provided with an opening 13 through which and disposed transversely in this opening is a steel wire 14 constituting an indicator. One end of the wire engages a hole or depression 15 in one edge 0 the opening 13 while the otherend of thewire engages a hole or opening 16 in a plate 17. Th s plate has an outer curved edge 18 which conformsi' to the curvature of the edge ,of the cover 2 while the straight edge-19. of the plate en gages the outer face of the flange The portion of the flange 3 with which the straight edge 19 engages is correspondmgly ate 17 will'remain in a fixed position. By this arrangement of p the plate, it is possible to remove the indicator at any time in caseit becomes damaged without removing the cover from the casing.

The opposite ends of'the hub 21 of the circular member 7 are provided with countersinks 22 for the reception of bearings 23 constructed of any suitable material, preferably of high tempered steel, although it is possible to constructthese of lass or the like so that the member 7 will reely balance in the casing and ermit the device to' besensitive to the slig test change in the grade of the ro d. In fact, the bearings ermit the gravity member 7 to balance an maintain a constant position so that, when the vehicle *is ascending .or descending a grade, the

' the medium of the indicator moving an:

slightest variationin. the an is of the vehicle will be indicated on thegra uations through I tively to the graduations upon the plate 11.

- In order to mount the casing on'the instrument board orother suitable location on the instrument board. The

the vehicle, a sup orting plate 24 is provided. This, plate ias lateral ears 25 which receive screws'26 for. securin the'plate to p ate is dished longitudinally and the wan of the dished part is of arcuate form conforming to the curvature ofthe casing. The arcuate wall of the plate'24: issplit ail-'27, to. rovide an opening through which the rea ings upon the late 11 may appear. The arcuate wall oft e plate 24 above and below the openin 27 is provided with elongated slots 28 whic are rabbeted, as shown at 29, for the reception of flat headed bolts or screws 30 which engage with the wall of the casin In fact, the screws or bolts are threaded t roughjhe cylindricalwall of the casing and, prior to tightening, the casing'may be adjusted an larly with reference to the holding plate dr the proper positioning of the foriner.

A transparent 1protecting'strip 31 (which is preferably 00 uloid) engages over the plate 24 to protect the indicator and also the graduations on the plate 11 as well as preeluding foreign matter from. the casing. A cover conforming to the shape of the plate 24 grade may be 'readil engages over the plate and retains the cellu-- loid protecting strip in place. This cover has lateral cars 33 for the reception of screws 34 which-"also 'pass throu h the ears 25land into the instrument boardto hold the parts firmly and securely connected thereto. The

cover 32 is .also of arcuate form to conform to the arcuate shape of the plate 24" which, in turn, conforms to the contour of the easin 6 '%hecover 32.has an o nin 35 and its upper portion merges into a hollow enlargement 36 which] has a cylindrical part 37.

This cylindricalpart is adapted for the rcception of the casing ofa compass 38 which is of the usual construction. -The lower marginal corner of the casing of the compass engages with a shoulder 39 where the.

lower wall bf the enlargement merges into the cylindrical wall. Suitable set-screws 40' arranged at diametrically opposite ointsof thecylindrical wall 37 are provided for holding the compass in position: f g

It will be noted that the casing is in a :fixed position'relatively to the. instrument board and since the gravity balanced. meme her 7 is mounted to maintain its "pro er bale move ascertained; 4 The invention having been set forth, what is claimed is: V v

1. A gradometer comprising a casing, "a

cylindrical gravity-controlled member 1v-- gradhaotally mounted therein and having tions on its periphe an arcuate-shaped support, means for fastening the casing on the holdin plate, said casing and the holding plate aving aligned openin s through which the graduations are visib e, a trans parent cover shielding said aligned openlugs to protect the graduations, and a metal cover conforming to the shape of the holdthereover to be seing plate and engaging cured to the support.

aduations on the plate 11 of the holding plate adapte '1 to be secured to a 2. A gradometer comprising a casing, a I

cylindrical. gravity-controlled member ivadheotally mounted therein and having gr tions on its peripher an arcuate-shaped holding plate adapte to .be secured to a." support, said casing and the holding plate having aligned openings through which the graduations are visible, means for securing the casing to theholding plate and adjustmg it angularly on thelatter for proper positionmg of the casing when mounted, an

indicator transversely spanning the opening 13 in the casing for registration with the graduations, and a metal cover conforming to the shape of the holdingplate and engaging 'thereover for securement to the support,

said cover being provided with a transparent portion disposed over said aligned openlngs. a v I 3. A gradometer comprising a casing, a cylindrical gravity-controlled member pivotally mounted therein and having graduations on its periphery, an arcuate-shaped holding plate adapted to be secured to a support, means for fastening the casing on the holding plate said casing and the holding plate having aligned openings through which the graduations are visible, a transarent cover shielding said aligned openings to protect the graduations, and a metal cover conforming to the shape of the hold-;

ing plate and engaging thereover for securement to the support, said holding plate and a cover each having a pair of oppositely disposed eo-extensive ears for the receptionv of fastening screws to engage the support and holding plate respectively.

In testimony whereof he affixes his signa ture.

EDMUND F. GOBATTI. 

